For further information:
EASAC Secretariat
Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina
German National Academy of Sciences
Postfach 110543
06019 Halle (Saale)
Germany
tel +49 (0)345 4723 9831
fax +49 (0)345 4723 9839
email secretariat@easac.eu
Printed by Latimer Trend & Co Ltd, Plymouth, UK
EASAC policy report 13
December 2010
ISBN: 978-3-8047-2866-0
This report can be found at
www.easac.eu
Realising European potential in synthetic biology:
scientific opportunities and good governance
ea
sac
building science into EU policy
EASAC
EASAC – the European Academies Science Advisory Council – is formed by the national science academies of the
EU Member States to enable them to collaborate with each other in giving advice to European policy-makers. It thus
provides a means for the collective voice of European science to be heard.
Its mission reflects the view of academies that science is central to many aspects of modern life and that an appreciation
of the scientific dimension is a pre-requisite to wise policy-making. This view already underpins the work of many
academies at national level. With the growing importance of the European Union as an arena for policy, academies
recognise that the scope of their advisory functions needs to extend beyond the national to cover also the European
level. Here it is often the case that a trans-European grouping can be more effective than a body from a single country.
The academies of Europe have therefore formed EASAC so that they can speak with a common voice with the goal of
building science into policy at EU level.
Through EASAC, the academies work together to provide independent, expert, evidence-based advice about the
scientific aspects of public policy to those who make or influence policy within the European institutions. Drawing on the
memberships and networks of the academies, EASAC accesses the best of European science in carrying out its work. Its
views are vigorously independent of commercial or political bias, and it is open and transparent in its processes. EASAC
aims to deliver advice that is comprehensible, relevant and timely.
EASAC covers all scientific and technical disciplines, and its experts are drawn from all the countries of the European
Union. It is funded by the member academies and by contracts with interested bodies. The expert members of
EASAC's working groups give their time free of charge. EASAC has no commercial or business sponsors.
EASAC’s activities include substantive studies of the scientific aspects of policy issues, reviews and advice about
specific policy documents, workshops aimed at identifying current scientific thinking about major policy issues or at
briefing policy-makers, and short, timely statements on topical subjects.
The EASAC Council has 25 individual members – highly experienced scientists nominated one each by the national
science academies of every EU Member State that has one, by the Academia Europaea and by ALLEA. It is supported by
a professional secretariat based at the Leopoldina, the German Academy of Sciences, in Halle (Saale). The Council agrees
the initiation of projects, appoints members of working groups, reviews drafts and approves reports for publication.
To find out more about EASAC, visit the website – www.easac.eu – or contact the EASAC Secretariat at
secretariat@easac.eu
ii
| December 2010 | Realising European
potential in synthetic biology
EASAC
ISBN 978-3-8047-2866-0
© German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 2010
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in
writing of the publisher, or in accordance with the terms of licenses issued by the appropriate reproduction rights
organisation. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the terms stated here should be sent to:
EASAC Secretariat
Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina
German National Academy of Sciences
Postfach 110543
06019 Halle (Saale)
Germany
tel: +49 (0)345 4723 9831
fax: +49 (0)345 4723 9839
email: secretariat@easac.eu
web: www.easac.eu
Cover image: Engineered bacteria, conceptual computer artwork. Credit: Equinox Graphics / Science Photo Library.
Copy-edited and typeset in Frutiger by The Clyvedon Press Ltd, Cardiff, UK
EASAC
Realising European potential in synthetic biology | December 2010 | iii
Contents
page
Foreword
v
Summary
1
1
Introduction: scope and objectives of this EASAC report
3
2 Defi nition and relationships with other scientifi c disciplines
5
3
Envisaged societal applications
7
4
Public expectations of synthetic biology research and applications
9
5
Methodological approaches in synthetic biology
11
5.1 Minimal
genomes
11
5.2
Orthogonal biosystems: expanding the genetic code
12
5.3 Regulatory
circuits
12
5.4 Metabolic
engineering
13
5.5 Protocells
14
5.6 Bionanoscience
14
6
Safety, social and governance issues
17
6.1
Identifying what is new
17
6.2 Biosafety
17
6.3 Biosecurity
18
6.4
Intellectual property rights
20
7
Summary of issues and recommendations
23
7.1
Previous recommendations at Member State level
23
7.2
EASAC recommendations for the EU
23
Appendix 1:
Academy sources and Working Group composition
29
Appendix 2:
International activities in synthetic biology: analysing ethical
and societal implications
30
List of abbreviations
32
References
33